Bristol Rovers (a) match thread 17/08/16

[Bijou Bob]

Apparently, they've taken points from 43 of their last 45 home games?! Yup. I'll still take a point.

On a side note; how on earth have Bristol Rovers managed to keep hold if a bloke who scored 28 in a season??! Surely he was worth a shot for some Championship club?

[bobo the clown]

At Conference & Div. 4 level. F'kem ... I want all 3. In fact I want 4. 5 even.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

At Conference & Div. 4 level. F'kem ... I want all 3. In fact I want 4. 5 even.

I want us to win so many points that our players will run on at home and boot them into the stand like free flyaway footballs.

[Worthy4England]

There are only about 12 teams with 100% league winning record at the moment. I'd like ud still to be in that group.

[Lord Kangana]

Bearing in mind we got a mind-focusing twatting early doors by Southend in '96 (5-2 wasn't it?) I'll take whatever result ultimately leads to our promotion.

The pedants amongst you no doubt saying "surely a win?", but you can prove anything with facts.

[TKIZ!]

Bearing in mind we got a mind-focusing twatting early doors by Southend in '96 (5-2 wasn't it?) I'll take whatever result ultimately leads to our promotion.

The pedants amongst you no doubt saying "surely a win?", but you can prove anything with facts.

[danardif1]

Bearing in mind we got a mind-focusing twatting early doors by Southend in '96 (5-2 wasn't it?) I'll take whatever result ultimately leads to our promotion.

The pedants amongst you no doubt saying "surely a win?", but you can prove anything with facts.

I hope that the Blackpool game actually served as that early hiccup that gives the squad some focus... It will be how we deal with our next defeat/poor result that gives us a better indicator of where we are going this season, obviously the later that happens the better but I am not getting all giddy over 2 wins in a row in the league despite ending that horrible away record.

I feel like we are building up to something though, Parkinson's pragmatic approach has impressed me so far and I do feel like we are going to give someone a hiding at one point, something we arguably haven't done since Dougie's late playoff push.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The boys are on the bus to Bristol. PP per BN:

We can show them videos, give them details and tell them what to expect but sometimes you can get caught out and something that happens on the day can catch you on the back foot – that is when it comes down to the players. It’s another tight and compact stadium. We’ll look at what we did well at Wimbledon, what we can improve on, and make sure we’re as prepared as we possibly can be.

[Bruce Rioja]

Not sure what a "Tight and compact stadium" has to do with it. They'd better get used to 'em.

[Bruce Rioja]

Not sure what a "Tight and compact stadium" has to do with it. They'd better get used to 'em.

I'm assuming it's more to do with pitch size. There's quite a bit of lee way in the widths and lengths a pitch can be, which I imagine can influence tactics and playstyles.

Then shirley Parky might have said "Tight and compact pitches", no?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Not sure what a "Tight and compact stadium" has to do with it. They'd better get used to 'em.

I'm assuming it's more to do with pitch size. There's quite a bit of lee way in the widths and lengths a pitch can be, which I imagine can influence tactics and playstyles.

But then he'd say "tight and compact pitch", you'd think. EDIT and as Bruce pointed out.

It's code for "lower-league ground". Kingsmeadow's 4,850 capacity is not just the smallest in the division but the smallest in the league and smaller than 18 of the 24 in what used to be the Conference. Rovers' 12,011-capacity Memorial Stadium is much higher up the tree - it can hold more than (in ascending order) Fleetwood, Northampton, Scunny, Shrewsbury, Rochdale, Chesterfield, Walsall, Gillingham and Bury - but there's still something of the non-league about it, with stands that don't quite fit the sides or ends. They averaged 8,000 last season in Division Four and Parky might just be putting the word out that this will again be a difficult game in unusual surroundings.

For the record, there's seven grounds in this division with 20,000+ capacity, three with 30,000+ (we're fourth).

[boltonboris]

Not sure what a "Tight and compact stadium" has to do with it. They'd better get used to 'em.

I'm assuming it's more to do with pitch size. There's quite a bit of lee way in the widths and lengths a pitch can be, which I imagine can influence tactics and playstyles.

We've narrowed our pitch quite considerably I noticed on Saturday

[Bruce Rioja]

You'd have thought so, I just read it as being a narrow pitch (affecting wide play)

See, this introduces an new conversation altogether. Parky seems hell bent on bringing in the 'Big Lad'. These players are generally found out on tight pitches due to a lack of technical ability. If the pitches are tighter in this division (is there any evidence to suggest that this is the case?) then this is where we need your Michael Johansen types - the sort that you'd never take the ball off in 5-a-side. Parkinson has enough experience in this division, I'd hope, to be using horses for said courses.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

According to Wiki (I know) the Memorial Stadium pitch is 68m wide, which is the Premier League standard; wider than White Hart Lane and what used to be the Britannia.

[Norpig]

You'd have thought so, I just read it as being a narrow pitch (affecting wide play)

See, this introduces an new conversation altogether. Parky seems hell bent on bringing in the 'Big Lad'. These players are generally found out on tight pitches due to a lack of technical ability. If the pitches are tighter in this division (is there any evidence to suggest that this is the case?) then this is where we need your Michael Johansen types - the sort that you'd never take the ball off in 5-a-side. Parkinson has enough experience in this division, I'd hope, to be using horses for said courses.

AFC Wimbledon and Bristol Rovers are both new to this division and have got grounds which are more compact than most in this division. We will be fine when we start going to the clubs with established Div 3 grounds which are more modern and spacious.

I think we have a good chance of a draw going off recent form they are a good side at home and we will do well to get a draw, we need another good performace to instill this burgeoning confidence!

[Bruce Rioja]

I seem to recall Phil Neal saying summat about visiting sides feeling intimidated when they came to Burnden. That was absolute shite as well.

[boltonboris]

I seem to recall Phil Neal saying summat about visiting sides feeling intimidated when they came to Burnden. That was absolute shite as well.

Think he meant the home side, when he was here!!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Wouldn't be surprised if Parky had narrowed it considering we've only got one winger and he's hardly Stanley Matthews.

I didn't realise that the PL had tried to standardise pitch sizes where possible. Seems needlessly authoritarian.

Am I right in thinking that once you've nominated your pitch size it's there for the season? To stop teams "doing a Souness" and changing the pitch size per opponent?

[boltonboris]

Can you still change it for cups? I remember UEFA had a smaller minimum size than the Premier League, so we used to bring it in for European matches... Seem to remember Gardner taking a throw 3ft inside the playing area

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Can you still change it for cups? I remember UEFA had a smaller minimum size than the Premier League, so we used to bring it in for European matches... Seem to remember Gardner taking a throw 3ft inside the playing area

Different comps, different rules: Pulis's Stoke used the PL minimum and had to have a different size when they played in Europe.